Gas engine



L.H.N ASH. GAS, ENGINE. No. 289,693. Patented-Dec). 4, 18837.(v

N. PETERS. Pwnc-ummm". wa-hmgum, D. C,

Patented Deo. 4, j1883.

(Nu Model.)`

UNITED STATES l PATENT OEEicE.

LEXVIS IIALLOOK N ASH, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS-ENGINE.

SFECIFICATION forming part yof Letters Patent No. 289,693, dated December 4, `1883. Application mea July 11, 1883. (No mmh-,1.)

T0 all whom, it may concer/e:

Be it known that I, LEwis HALLocK NAsH, a citizen or the United States, residingat Brooklyn, in the county of Kings `and State of New York, have invented new and useful' Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention which I have made in the gas-engine ,is particularly directed to means for preventing the heating of the piston and that part of the power-cylinder within which it operates to compress the air, so that the piston may work in a comparatively cool aircompression chamber, while the combustible gases are burned in a very hot combustionchamber, where the power is produced and the heat concentrated, whereby a great saving of the heat is effected; to a novel construction by which the gases are admitted into the cylinder combustion-chamber, and in the construction by which a combustion-chamber is obtained to admit of a high temperature therein without materially increasing the heat of the other portion ofthe engine,wherein the piston and other working parts operate; to the construction of a single-acting gas-engine cylinder, and the combination of a number of such y cylinders so as to operate upon one crank,with suitable connecting mechanism for the pistons and for the engine-valves and their controlling mechanism; and my invention comprehends a method of operating a gas-engine by liquid fuel and air, and of matters of construction and of comis caused to envelop and pass over the heated surface of the power-cylinder to cool the same; and I have therein shown and described a construction of cylinder by which the workingluid is compresssed by the forward stroke of the piston within the forward end of the cylinder, and then discharged into astoragechamber. y

In the pres nt construction' the air only is compressed within the forwardend of the cylinder and discharged into a storage-chamber, and thence into an air-tight vessel placed away from the engine, containing a volatile liquid fuel, which is thereby evaporated and the gas conveyed thence under pressure to the valve system for operating the engine.

. In the combination of the three coacting cylinders, the air-storage chambers of each have perpetual communication, so that the degree of the force exerted 'by the compressed gases is alike at every point of the engine.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my said invention, in which Figure l represents a transverse section of the engine, taken through .the axis of three cylinders, and showing the piston crank-connectionsthereof. Fig. Zrepresents a vertical section taken through the line :1c x of Fig. 1,. showing one of the cylinders in axial section and its piston-rod crankconnections, the piston-rod of the cylinder shown in projection being removed and its crank-connections broken away. Fig. 3 rep.

resents a section through the valves, showing their operating-connections and the position of the valves whilethe charge is being admitted into the combustion-chamber of the cylinder. Fig. 4 represents a similar section of the valves, showing their position when the compressed air is discharged from the compression end of the cylinder into a storage'- chamber surrounding the cylinder compression-chamber. Fig. 5 represents a similar section of the valves, showing their position on the return-stroke 0f the piston. Fig.'6 represents a cross-section of the cylinder on the line l 2 of Fig.l Ll, showing its communication with the valve-ports and the' communicationv of the air-storage chamber with the valve-ports. Fig. 7 represents a cross-section l sents a section taken on the line 5 6 of Fig. 6, showing the valves which control the admislro sion of the fuel to the engine-valves and to the through the pipe p. (Showni in Fig. 2.) These' lighter jets. Fig. 9 represents a section of an air-tight storing-vessel, within which the liquid fuel is evaporated and from which the gaseous fuel is supplied under pressure to the controlling-valves of the engine. Figs. 1() and 11 represent enlarged views of the piston crank-connections. Figs.,12 and 13 represent enlarged detail views of the reversing-gearing of the engine. Fig. 14 represents the eccentric and its connection with the shaft for changing the point of cut-off. Fig. 15 representis a diagram showing the changes in the point of cut-off of the gases entering the combustion-chamber, and the point at which the compressed gases from the compression-chamber enter the storage-chamber.

In the several iigures of the drawings the same letters indicate the same parts, and I have used the same letters to r'designate the three coacting cylinders, with numerical coefficients to indicate the several parts of each cylinder and as the cylinders are of like construction and operation7 it will be only necessary to describe the operation of one or a part of any one to show the action of the same part in another cylinder.

The cylinders B' B2 B3 are arranged equidistant about a case, Z, upon which they are secured in any suitable manner. The powertransmitting crank-shaft sis mounted in suitable boxes centrally within the case which incloses the crank K and the connections for the pistons and the valves. Each cylinder, as B', has cast with it a surrounding storage-chamber, D', for the compressed air, and a chamber, W', for cooling-water at the forward end of said cylinder. Each cylinder forms an aircompression chamber, as C', at its forward end, which communicates through its valves U- V' with the air-storage chamber D', while the latter communicates with the combustionchamber A through the air-tight vessel, and thence into the passage c' at the outer end of said cylinder, upon which the combustionchamber is mounted. The storage-chambers D' D2 D3 for the air or air and gas, when gas is compressed with the air of the several cylinders, communicate with each other through a passage, d, preferably formed on the outer wall of the casing Z, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the pressure of the stored air is equal at all parts of the engine. Each cylinder has formed on its inner or forward end an open part of less diameter than that within which the piston works, to form a bearing for the trunk or hollowrod It', which supports the piston P', and acts as a slideway for it. This smaller cylinder part has sufficient length to form a good bearing and tight joint for the hollow piston-rod which opens into the chamloer of the case. .The water-chamber YV' surrounds this bearing lpart for the piston-rod, and is arrangedat the forward end of the cylinder adjacent to the air-compression cham- `ber C', and is supplied with'water admitted chambers for water serve to keep the air-compression chambers C C2 G and the bearings for the piston-rods R' ItL R3 cool, so as to work well and to keep the air from being heated too much while being compressed with out abstracting heat from the combustion-chambers. The water may beinj ected; or there may be a circulation, if desired. in which case there should be an inlet and outlet pipe, p' p2, as in Fig. 1. Each cylinder has mounted on its outer end and secured by bolts a hood or cap, J', having an interior diameter a little greater than that of the cylinder I3', and forms the combustionehamber A' of the cylinder. It is separated from the open end of the cylinder by packing e of some poorheat-conducting material-such as asbestus-to prevent the heat of the hood or cap J' from being communicated t0 the cylinder.

The piston l?" has a suitable packing, and works within the cylinder proper, the depth of which is `sufficient to allow for the stroke of the piston within it. Ahood or hollow cap, H', is secured to the piston P', and is also separated from the latter by a non-conducting packing, c2, to prevent the heat of said hood from being communicated to the piston. This piston-hood or hollow cap is of a diameter just sufficient to work within the cylinder without touching it, and to work within the cylinder-hood J' and leave a space, b', between it and the piston-hood when the latter is at the eXtreme of its outward stroke, which space communicates with a flame-passage, c', around the inner edge of the base of the cylinder-hood J'. The gaseous charge is admitted by the valves U' V' into this space b', and passes back to the end of the cylinder-hood, so that the combustible charge takes up the heat from these bodies, and its expansive force is thereby greatly increased. An enlarged passage, a', is formed upon the wall of the cylinder-- hood J', which extends from the passage c' to the closed end of said hood and opens into the combustion-chamber. This passage a serves to convey the flame from the passage c' to the combustion-chamber behind the piston-hood when the latter is at the extreme of its outward stroke; and as, from the length of this passage a', it will take some appreciable time for the flame to pass from the base-passage c to the closed end of the hood J', a sudden eX- plosion of the charge will thereby be prevented. The lighting of the charge is preferably effected by the electric wires m 'and a, which are insulated from each other and terminate in points within the passage c in relation to the iniiow of the gas, which I will presently describe.

As the cylinder and piston-hoods will become greatly heated by the combustion of the successive charges, the hotter they become the less heat will be abstracted from the gases in the power-cylinder before they do their work, and I prefer to cover the cylinder-hoods with IOO IIO

a non-conducting m'aterial, L, to prevent loss of heat from radiation.

The piston P is supported by-a rod, B, which has a rocking bearing upon the rod I', which is jointed at h to the connecting-rods F F and to the swinging tie-rods E E', the said rods tF F making a bearing upon the crank-pin k, the rocking bearing being within the-hollow stem of the piston, as described,

{1/2, which operate the corresponding valves of the cylinder B2 by connection with the valverods x y while the valves of the cylinder B3 are operated by the connecting-rods x3 y, also 2 5 jointed to the eccentrics; hence any change in the position of the eccentric X will affect the valves U of all the cylinders in the same manner to change the point of cut-off and discharge of the gases, and a change in the position of the eccentric Y upon the same shaft will also affect all thevalvcs Vto reverse theengine. The cccentrics are separate and independent in their action, each one performing a distinct function in operating the valves;` yet the combined action of the valves is necessary to operate the engine. The eccentric Y operates the valve V for the full stroke of the engine, either forward or backward, in which operation of the eccentric Y and the cut-off eccentric X need not be altered. The engine will then work either forward or backward and cut oif at a fixed point.

If it is desired to change the point of cutoff, the position of the eccentric X must be changed. Fig. 14 illustrates how this is done, in which the eccentric X is shown as havinga slot fitting a flat part, s, of the shaft S, over and upon which the eccentric can be moved from the position X to the position shown by dotted lines X2. In the position X the center of the eccentric will be at o3, and will describe the circle 15 16, so that the engine will cut off at the point 23 of Fig. 15 and discharge the compressed gases from the chamber C at the point 24: of the stroke of the piston. If the. eccentric be in the position X2, its center o* will describe the circle 25 26, and the engine will cut off at 29 and discharge the compressed gases from the chamber C at the point 30, Fig. 15. The eccentric X may be set at any desired position and secured by a screw or other suitable means, and the point of cut-off may be altered at any time when theengine is not running by moving the eccentric into the desired position and securing it there.

In Figs'. 12 and 13 I have shown in detail eccentric is the position it should occupy when 1 the engine is operating in one direction, and the center oL of the dotted lines is the position the eccentric should occupy when `the engine is running in the reverse direction. This lateral adjustment of the eccentric Y is effected by a feather, T, secured to it, and fitting into a groove, T, in a flat slide, o, which is adapted to be moved in the line of the shaft into and out of a slot, o', in the end of said shaft, as shown by dotted lines in Fig..13. This adjustment of the slide o is effected by a screw, s2, connected therewith by a swivel-joint, @04, so that by turning the screw s2 to the right the slide ois moved into the position shown by dotted lines, and thereby the feather T Will move the eccentric Y to the position shown by the dotted lines Y2, which is the position of the eccentric for the reverse motion ofthe engine. The screw sZ passes through a stuffingbox in a removable head, Z, of the case, and has a hand-wheel, W2, by which to operate the slotted slide.

I have not shown any means for shifting the position of the eccentric X While the engine is running, because in many engines there is no necessity for altering the point of cut-off' often, and the engine may be easily stopped to do this; but the eccentric X may be shifted by a device similar to that shown for shifting the eccentric Y.

The .connections of the piston-rods with the crank-pin are shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and consist of straps t2 t5, bolted together at each end, and between which are fitted two pieces of metal, t3 t1, which abut together at the middle of their length upon a taper key, as shown in Fig. 10, the meeting ends of said metal pieces being notched to receive said key between them, as shown in Fig. 11. The. jointbearing h of the piston connecting-rod and of the crank-pin 7c are at each end of the straps t2 t5 and the metal pieces t3 t4, so that by driving in the taper key t the pieces t3 t* are caused to move into the bearings 71l k, and thus take up the wear of the parts. For this purpose the head of the taper key t has a right-angled projection, through which a screw, t, passes into a screw-tap in the metal piece t4, the straps t2 t5 having slots to receive the key, and the screw passing through the slot of the strap t2, as shown.

For lubricating the working parts and connections, oil is admitted into the case Z by any suitable oiling device, and I prefer also to inject water with the oil, to prevent the latter from becoming gummy.

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The construction and operation of the valves will be understood from the following: Referring to the valves, they are arranged in suitable chambers side by side, and are operated by the connections which I have described.

In the operation of valve V the outlet-port 1 for the waste gases opens into the air at 14. Port 2 communicates with port 7 of the valve U. Port 3 has free communication with the air-storage chamber D. Port4 communicates with port 8 of valve U. Port 5 opens into the compression-chamber C', as in Fig. 6, and port 6 opens intothe air at 13, the said communication ot' port 3 with the airstorage chamber being in a similar manner to that in which. port 9 of valve U opens into the storage-chamber.

In the operation of valve U the ports 7 and 8 communicate with corresponding ports, 2 and 4, of valve V. Port 9 communicates with the air-storage chamber D, Fig. 6. Port 10 opens communication between ports 8 and 9, and the upper end of valve U opens and closes port 7. The lValve V has a port,11, which operates with ports 2 and 3, and a port, 12, which operates with ports 4, 5, and 6, while its upper end opens and closes the exhaustport 1.

f In the operation of the valves, the piston being on its return-stroke, they will occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. 5, and the waste gases from the combustion-chamber will escape through the passage c and theport 1 of valve V, and the air for the charge will enter the compression-chamber C at port 6 through ports 12 and 5. When the enginehas completed its stroke, the valve V closes ports 1 and 6 and opens communication between ports 2 and 3 and between ports 4 and 5, the valve U having already closed port 8 and opened port 7, so that the compressed air from chamber D enters through passages 3, 11, 2, and 7 into passage c, and thence passes into the cylinder combustion-chamber A, around the space b', and behind the piston-hood, which is then in position within and nearly filling the cylinder-hood, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the instant of ignition the valve U closes port 7, Fig. 4.

rIhe piston in its forward stroke compresses the air in chamber C until it is at about the pressure of the air in the storage-chamber D, when the valve U opens port 8, and thereby establishes free communication between chambers D and C, through ports and passages 5, 12, 4, 8, 10, and 9, to the storage-chamber. Thus by the combined action of the valves U V the waste gases are discharged Yfrom the chamber A through the whole stroke of the piston, the charge of air is admitted into the compression chamber C', the compressed charge is admitted into the combustion-chamber A', and the cut-oit' is effected at the desired instant of the stroke, while the compressed air from the chamber C is admitted to the storage-chamber D at the latter end of the stroke of the piston P. This is effected by setting the valve V to operate its ports during the full period of the stroke, and the valve U to act as a cut-off valve for the entering charge, and to admit the compressed air from the chamber C at the desired time. The point of cut-off and of discharge of the compressed air may be varied at pleasure by changing the throw of the eccentric X, as shown by the diagram of Fig. 15, in which the circle 19 20 represents the path of the crank-pin, and the circle 15 16 the path ofthe center of the eccentric, and the line 17 18 the distance the valve U travels between the point of cut-oft" of the enteringV gases and the point i where the compressed air is admitted to the storage-chamber D. During the time valve U is traveling this distance the crank-pin 7c will travel the arc 21 22, and the piston will travel (not regarding the angular position of the connecting mechanism, for the purpose of illustration) the distance 28 24, the point 23 indicating the cut-off, and 24 indicating the point oi' the discharge ofthe compressed air from the chamber C. If, now, the position of the center ofthe eccentric is changed,so as to describe the circle 25 26, the crank-pin will describe the arc 27 v28 while the valve is traveling the distance 17 18, and 29 will be the point of cut-off and 30 the point of the discharge ofthe air from the compression-chamber; hence changing the throw of one eccentric X changes the point of cut-off and of the discharge ofthe air from the compressionchamber. The air passes from the chamber G, Fig. 6, to port 5, and from thence, through valve-port 12, Fig. 4, to port 4, and to port 8 of valve U', thence from port 8, through port 10,to port 9, it passes from port 9 to the storage-chamber D.

I propose to use the vapor of a volatile fuelas gasoline-for operating the engine, and Iprefer to control the admission of the gaseous fuel to the engine-valves from an air-tight storingvessel, Z", by separate valves u o', which are shown in Fig. 8. These valves are arranged in the case parallel with the main valves, and communicate with the supply-pipe G and with the lighter or electric wires m n, and are operated by suitable connections with the main valves. The valve u is operated by an arm, u2, which is connected with the valve U, as in Fig. 2, and hence these valves will make the same movement. The valve o is similarlyconnected to the valve V by an arm, c2, and both these valves make the same movement; hence the valve o operates to open its port 5 throughout the full period of the stroke of the piston, while the valve u operates to cut oit the admission of the gas through the passage G2 at the same instant that the air is shut off at port 7 by valve U. In Fig. 8 the valves u o are shown in the position when the gas is being admitted to the cylinder.

The engine may be operated by means of any gaseous fuel supplied through the pipe G un- IOO IIO

der pressure, and such'supply is obtained from a suitable air-tight vessel, Z2, as shown in Fig. 9, which contains the liquid fuel. This vessel Z2 connects'by apipe, p3, preferably at its bottom, with the kstorage-chamber D', and conveys the compressed air from said chamberD into thevessel containing the liquid fuel, which is thereby evaporated, the compressed air passing through the'liquid fuel in the vessel, and thus producing a gaseous vapor under pressure stored in the vessel above the liquid fuel therein. A pipe, p4, connects this vessel at its vupper part with the engine-supply pipe G', and a cock, a3, controls the supply from said vessel, and may be operated by a governor, if desired. The gas under sufficient pressure passes from the vessel Z2 and enters the pipe G through the ports 5 l2 to the passage G2, from whence it passes into the cylinder-space c and mingles with the air entering-at port 7 of valve U in relation to the electrical conductors, which I will presently describe. As the volatile fuel is evaporated by the compressed air passing through it, the vessel Z2 must be constructed to withstandl such pressure. The vessel containing the liquid fuel may be placed at any distance from the engine so as to be outside of the building in which the engine operates, if desired, and since only vapor enters the pipe 3o p* there will be no danger from the use of any highly-volatile fuel. By this construction the air-storage chamber of the engine connects with a vessel containing a volatile fluid, and a portionof the air compressed by the engine is conducted into the working-chamber of the cylinder with the charge of gaseous fuel and a portion of the air conducted into the generator-vessel to produce the gaseous fuel 5 but it will be understood that the air only is compressed in the chamber C', and is used as the means of evaporating the gasoline in the vessel Z`2. I may, however, if found desirable, inject cooling-water with the air into the compression-chamber; or the engine may be operated by injecting liquid fuel within the compression-chamber C', or by gas and -air admitted into the compression-chamber, as described in my said application. Vhen so operating the engine by compressing the charge' in the chamber C', the valves a c and the vessel Z2 will not be used, and it is obvious that my invention does not depend upon any particular means for supplying the working-fuel.

In connection with the arrangement of the valves ufv for controlling the supply of fuel to the engine-valves, it is important to notice that the electric wires m a are placed at the outlet of the passage G2, and they should be so placed that one wire conductor, as m, is in the flowing stream of the fuel, while the other wire, as a, is just at one side of the gas-current from said passage, so that when the electric spark passes from m to a it will pass out from the gas into air, and hence have to cross the point where the gas and air are mingled at the edge or border of the gas-stream, thus effecting the lighting of the charge.

' The case Z is provided with a removable head, Z, by which access may be had to the operating-connections of the valves andthe pistons.

Vhile I have shown and described a gasengine of threev connected co-operating cylinders and their valve-controlling mechanism, yet a single cylinder may be used with its valve system, and my invention is therefore not limited to an engine having three'co-operating cylinders.

In case the electric spark is used to light the charge and the gas admitted at the back of the combustion-chamber, the flame-passage a neednot be used; but I prefer the construction shown.

A solid piston and the ordinary operatingconnections may be used instead of the construction shown.

I claimM 1. The combination, in a gas-engine, ofthe cylinder having a hood or hollow cap forming the combustion-chamber, with the piston having a hood or hollow cap adapted to operate within the cylinder-hood, and to form a space therein surrounding the circumference and outer end of said piston-hood, and means, substantially such as described, wherebythe combustible charge is admittedto said space in contact with the walls forming said space, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

V2. In a gas-engine, the combination of the cylinder having ahood or hollow cap forming the combustion-chamber, with a piston having a hood or hollow cap adapted to operate within the cylinder-hood, and anon-conductor of heat interposed at the junction of said hoods with their respective parts, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a gas engine, vthe cylinder having a hood or hollow cap forming the combustionchamber, provided with the ignition -passage c at its junction with the cylinder opening into the combustion-chamber, as set forth.

4. rlhe combination, in a gas-engine, of the cylinder having a hood or hollow cap forming the combustion-chamber, with apiston having a hood or hollow cap adapted to operate within the cylinder-hood and to form a surrounding space, b', therein, the annular ignition-passage c at the base of the cylinder-hood, and the name-passage a on the inner wall of said cylinder-hood, the said ignition and llame pas- IOO Sages opening into the combustion-chamber, as set forth. f2

5. The combination, in a gas-engine, of the cylinder having a hood or hollow cap forming the combustion-chamber, with a non-conducting hood or cover enveloping said cylinderhood, as set forth.

6. In a gas-engine,tl1e combination of a cylinder, a storage-chamber ifor air under compression, and a chamber for cooling-water at the compression end of the cylinder, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, in a gas-engine, of a power-cylinder in which the charge of air is compressed by the forward stroke of the piston, with a chamber for cooling-water arranged adjacent to the compression end of the power-cylinder, whereby the air-compression chamber is prevented from being unduly heated'.

8. In a gas-engine, the combination of the cylinder, a surrounding storage-chamber for air under compression, a chamber for coolingwater at the compression end of the cylinder, and a guide-bearing for the piston-rod, surrounded by said cooling-chamber, with a pistonhavin g a hollow rod or trunk, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

9; The combination, in a gas-engine, of the cylinder having ahood forming a combustionchamber, a surrounding chamber, D', for air under compression, and a chamber for coolingwater at the forward end of the cylinder, with a piston having a hood adapted to operate within the cylinder-hood, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

10. The combination, in a single-acting gasengine in which the combustible mixture is ignited upon the back of the piston, and the charge of air is compressed by the forward stroke of the piston, of the valves U V', and means, substantially such as described, whereby one valve is adapted to open its ports through the full stroke of the piston, and the other valve is adapted to cut off the inlet of the gases to the power-cylinder and to open communicationwith the air-com pression chamber, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the valve system of the engine, of the valves a fu', for controlling the charge of the gaseous fuel, the wires m a, and the passage G2, having such relation to the said wires that one of them terminates within the flowing stream of gaseous fuel and ,the other terminates at one side of said stream,

for the purpose specified.

12. The combination of the singleacting gas-engines and means for connecting the pistons of the several cylinders thereof, for co-operative action, with the storage-'chambers for air under pressure, surrounding said cylinders, and a case inclosing the operating-connections, having a passage, d, communicating withthe storage-chambers of the several cylinders, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with the piston of an engine and the power transmitting crankshaft, of an intermediate adjustable connectin g-rod composed of straps t t5, united at their ends, abutting pieces t t", secured between said united straps, forming end joint-bearings, and an adjusting-key, t', passing through slots in the straps and between the abutting ends of the interior bearing-pieces, whereby the latter may be adjusted for taking up the wear of the said joint-bearings.

14. The combination, with a gas-engine operating to compress its Charge of air into a storage-chamber, of an air-tight vessel placed at a distance from the engine, containing a volatile liquid fuel, a pipe, p3, connecting said storage-chamber with the lower part of said separate vessel, a charge-supplying pipe, G2, the supply-controlling valves u o, and the main valves U V, substantially as herein set forth.

15. The method substantially herein described of operating a gas-engine, which consistsin compressing air in the forward end of the cylinder, passing it thence around the cylinder, andra portion of the air so compressed through a volatile liquid fuel contained within an air-tight vessel, and conducting under the pressure of the air the charge of gaseous vapor evaporated thereby to the valve system of the engine and to the electric wires for lighting the charge, which latter is completed by admiXing therewith a separate charge of compressed air. l

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS HALLOCK NASH.

\Vitnesses:

GHR1sTo1 HER C. VIHTTEMORE, XVILLIAM C. XVns'ruRvnL'r.

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